‘Life Is Worse Under Tinubu Than Buhari’, Says Amaechi

Immediate-past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday, said life in Nigeria has become worse under President Bola Tinubu’s administration compared to the tenure of the immediate-past President Muhammadu Buhari.

Amaechi made the remarks at the ongoing #OccupyNASS protest, which entered its second day at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Tuesday. The demonstration, led by civil society groups and political figures, is calling for amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly the inclusion of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 general election.

The protest was met with a heavy police presence, as security operatives barricaded the main entrance to the complex, preventing demonstrators from submitting their demands to lawmakers. Despite the blockade, protesters chanted in defiance, “How many people police go kill o, how many people police go kill,” accusing security agents of using intimidation to silence dissent.

Speaking at the protest venue, Amaechi, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), criticised the current administration for worsening economic conditions and alleged corruption.

“Is life easier now than when I was in the APC? Life is worse now than during the former President Buhari regime,” Amaechi said.

He continued, “Even though we were planning to remove the subsidy, we had better plans. The corruption here is too much. They are stealing — I heard there’s a $16 billion road project awarded without due process. I left APC already and they will not win.”

Amaechi also questioned whether President Tinubu could secure re-election in 2027, citing growing discontent among Nigerians.

“We’re not seeing it this bad. I don’t know whether there was corruption back then, but the corruption here, let’s see if Tinubu will win again in 2027,” he added.

LEADERSHIP recalls that on Monday, former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate and ADC chieftain, Peter Obi, also joined the demonstrators, urging lawmakers to prioritise transparency in the electoral process. Obi reiterated that the inclusion of real-time electronic transmission of election results in the new law would restore public confidence in Nigeria’s elections.